Highland Village Police ask council to fund cameras, rifle‑rated shields, software and drones to expand patrol capabilities

Highland Village police officials asked the City Council July 8 to approve several equipment purchases and a new drone program intended to broaden officer tools for surveillance, evidence collection and less‑lethal options.

Sergeant Travis Flowers and Commander Jay McCallie presented the department’s request for: additional public‑space surveillance cameras, two rifle‑rated ballistic shields, continued use (and possible purchase) of a department search and reference application called BlueVoice, a second 40‑millimeter less‑lethal impact launcher, and a multi‑part drone package with a negotiated annual maintenance and training contract.

Travis described the ballistic‑shield request as an upgrade from pistol‑rated gear to rifle‑rated shields and said, “the ones we're requesting are rated for rifle rounds...this gives officers more protection when they're making entry to buildings.” He said the plan places additional shields in supervisors’ vehicles so supervisory officers responding to high‑risk calls will have rifle‑rated protection available.

The department described BlueVoice — a cloud‑based search/knowledge tool currently used in a free pilot — as a way to put city ordinances, departmental general orders and frequently used forms onto officers’ phones and patrol devices. Travis said the software supplies PDFs and searchable policy text in the field and produces monthly analytics “so we can put a training out for the guys at shift” when a topic recurs. He noted a pending grant (a public‑safety support grant) and said the department hopes the program will prove cost neutral in its first year if the grant is awarded.

On less‑lethal options, the department asked to add a second 40mm impact launcher that can carry inert foam impact rounds, marking rounds, smoke and other non‑lethal munitions used for stopping or de‑escalation. Sergeant Flowers said the department uses its existing launcher for deterrence and that adding a second launcher would increase availability across patrol units.

Drone program: Commander McCallie described a proposed drone package that would provide quad‑copters with night‑vision, thermal imaging and a tethered option for long‑duration special‑event coverage. He said the city has tested drones in recent public‑safety incidents and for special events and cited uses ranging from missing‑person searches to perimeter observation at armed or barricaded incidents. McCallie noted a package price that included upfront equipment purchase and an annual maintenance and training contract; he said the proposed annual maintenance/training line was roughly $30,000 (staff also presented a broader package price near $99,000 but said higher‑end, fully automated alternatives exceed $250,000). McCallie said the drone option tested well in demonstrations but told council the department would expect to return with usage data before expanding or upgrading the program.

Why police favor the items: Presenters argued the camera network has been useful in locating vehicles and persons in active investigations, and said improved shields and non‑lethal options add protection for officers and the public during high‑risk entries. The department also emphasized the situational‑awareness and training benefits of searchable, field‑accessible policy tools.

Council and public questions: Council members asked about frequency of deployment for the less‑lethal launcher and the shields, the data security and password storage for BlueVoice on personal phones, and whether drone operations could be used to survey schools and other sensitive sites. Travis said BlueVoice requires login, password entry and that the department disables password‑saving; McCallie said drones used by the department can include speakers and loud lights useful for addressing barricaded or suicidal subjects remotely.

Costs and approvals: The police supplemental requests were presented as part of the FY2026 supplemental review; council did not take action on July 8 to approve funds. Staff said some items are eligible for grant funding and that the department would pursue grant opportunities where possible. The council paused the police presentation in the late work session to continue other agenda business, and indicated it would consider the supplemental requests along with other departmental asks as budget review continued.

Ending: The council did not vote on any police purchases at the July 8 session. Police staff said they will return with refined costs, grant‑funding status and deployment policies as part of the supplemental review process.